Rock Mechanics Applications

The course covers the fundamentals of rock mechanics and rock engineering. It deals with the following:

• characterisation and laboratory and in situ testing for the determination of properties of intact rock, discontinuities in rock, and discontinuous rock masses

• mechanical behaviour of rock masses, including dynamic, time-dependent, and post peak behaviour.

• basic principles of flow through discontinuities and discontinuous rock masses.

• weathering and susceptibility to weathering of rock masses.

• principle of excavation methods. Excavatability, wear and performance of cutting tools. Influence of blasting and other vibrations. Influence of stress and stress changes.

• principle of support methods.

• rock mass classification systems. Possibilities for analytical and numerical modelling of discontinuous rock masses.

• application of principles of rock mass excavation and support to slopes, tunnel, dam, foundation, rock dredging or sea water breaker design.

• monitoring, analysis, prediction and mitigation of subsidence due to solid removal.

• application of engineering tools such as Total Geological Approach and function (system) analysis to projects case histories.

Formative exercises are embedded into the lectures, a laboratory test session and an advanced rock mass classification fieldwork in VR.

A compulsory multi-stage project is integrated into the course and is used to assess the students. The students (in groups of max. 4 students) have to analyse critically data and make a preliminary site investigation, design and risk assessment for a fictive but very realistic construction project in rocks proposed by the co-lecturer. Students present their work at several stages of the project in an oral or written form and get feedback from the lecturers or peers. Groups upgrade their work according to the formative feedback they received and submit a final project report that is graded.

A peer evaluation tool (Buddycheck) is used to evaluate the performance of each team member. The instructors grade the project report and incorporate the results of the peer evaluations in the final grade. For the sake of transparency, the grading rubric will be published in the BS page of the course before the start of the course. In

A successful participation in the elective, requires a minimum grade of 5.8 for the multi-stage project report.

For more information on grading, see article 14 in the Rules and Guidelines (RGBE):

https://www.tudelft.nl/en/student/ceg-student-portal/education/education-information/educational-rules-and-regulations

Permitted Materials during Exam

N/A